Bunching attachment for mowers.



No.723,l66. l PATENTED MAR. 1'?, 11903.

J. W. LATIMER.

BUNGHING ATTACHMENT FOR MOWBRS.

i APPLIoA'rIoN FILED snPT.'11. 1901. No MODEL. a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/TNEssEs.- INVENTOR.

iXi/@ A TTORNEY.

PATENTBD NMR.` 17, 1'9o3.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 11. 1901.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

` WIT/s155555.-

" UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W.;LATIMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

`BUNCHING ATTACHMENT FOR IVIOWERS.

` SPECIFICATION forming pari: f Letters Patent No. 723,166, dated March 17, 1903.

Application filed September ll, 1901. Serial No.174,994. (No model.)`

`Tol @ZZ taht/m it may-concern.:

1 Be it known that I, JOHN W. LATIMER., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

l county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvements ini'Bunching Attachments for Mowers, of which the following is a specication, referl ence being'hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relatesv to attachments for mowing-machines adapted to receive the cut hay or grass and carry the same until sufficient has been collected to form a bunch, when e `subsequently raked up.

the caseof seed-clover, as'much of the seed i `3 is a grass side elevation of the same.

it is deposited upon the ground; It is desirable at times to bunch the hay or grass immediately after being cut `instead. of leaving it thinly spread over the field as itlfalls, to be Especially is it soin is saved in this manner.

The object of" my invention is to provide eective means which Amay be readily attached to anymowerV for accomplishing the above end.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a mowing-machine, showing my attachment in position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. l. Fig.

4 is a sectional view onthe-line 1 l, FigfZ, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. `5 isanvelevation inI detail of the tripping-lever. Fig. 6 is a perspective view ngers. v i

i A is the main frame of an ordinary mowshowing the means of securing the gatherering-machine.

B is one of the traction-wheels, and C the y cutting apparatus: At either end of the fin-- i y ger-bar C' are secured the strap-eyes c and c' i i `by `means of the-usualbolts for securing both theinner and outer shoes,"respectively.` Pivoted in these strap-eyes c and c', by means `@rer-frame D,'to which they .are secured.

in Figs. land 2.) The gatherer-fingers E, of suitable length, are provided, having at their Fig. i

:plate e4 are iirinly secured to the transverse member of the gathering-frame D by bolts' 'which pass through them and the vertical member of the angle.

The vertical member of the angle thus forms a closure for the groove e3 and holds the gatlierer-ngers E rigidly in position. To lend rigidity to the gatherer-frame, the wearing-plate e4 has its ends produced and bent parallel to the lon-` gitudinal members of the gatherer-frame and secured thereto.

Secured to the inner longitudinal member d3 of the gatherer-frame bymeans of an extension of the pivot-strap d and the strap d5 is the board F, which forms one side of the gathering receptacle. The other side is formed by the usual swather or grass-board G, pivoted to the outer shoe in the usual manner. An inner shield F is secured at its front end to the inner shoe and at its rear end to the board F by means of the bolt f. In order `that the gathering-receptacle may move on its pivot, a slot f on the arc of a circle about the pivotas a center is provided in the shield F, adapted to receive the bolt f and allow it to slide therethrough. The-swather or grass- `boardGr is pivoted to the gathering-receptacle by means of the bracket g, which is secured to the longitudinal memberl d4. By means of this bracket g the swather or grassboard` is made to move with the gathering-receptacle as it moves on its pivot. A divider G is adapted to be attached to the outer shoe. A cavity g' is formed in the framethereof,

adapted to receive the point of theshoe, and Y an arm g2, formed in one part ,therewith, is secured by the ordinary 4pivot-bolt ofl the grass-board, thus holding the divider G rigidly in position. Firmly secured to said divider is the post or standard g3, adapted to IOO their axis as the cutting apparatus is raised' supportthe outer end of the reel-shaft, as will be later described.

Journaled upon the main axle on either side of the traction-wheel B are the supportingarms H and H. Their ends are secured together by means of suitable castings H/ and H2, which serve as ties. To the push-bar C2 is secured the clip standard or post h, to which is connected the tie H by means of the link h'. The supporting-arms H are moved upon to pass over obstacles by means of the link h for reasons later to be pointed out. In a suitable box in the tie H at the front end of the supporting-arms His journaled the inner end of the reel-rake shaft I, the outer end ot which is journaled in a suitable bracket, as t', secured to the divider post or standard g3, as above referred to. Secured to the reelrake shaft I is the sprocket-wheel l', which is adapted to be driven by means of an ordinary sprocket-chain from the sprocket-wheel A', secured to the main axle of the mower. To compensate for the unevenness of the ground which the cutting apparatus must pass over, a universal joint t" is provided in the reel-rake shaft. By this means the reelrake has the same freedom of movement that the cutting apparatus has.

Secured to the reel-rake shaft I are the reelrake arms I2, the outer ends ot which are bent rearward in relation to the direction of their revolution. A preferable form of securement is obtained by providing the arms with a shoulder t2 near the straight or inner ends, which is drawn tight against the reelrake shaft I, through which the arms pass, by means of a threaded nut. The arms I are staggered-that is, no two revolve in the same plane of revolution, the reason for which will later be shown. To each set of arms is secured a board or beater I3, adapted to be adjusted thereon by means of the yoke-boltst's. These beaters serve the purpose of preventing the grass from winding upon the reel; shaft. l

Pivoted in a suitable box in the tie H2 at the rear end of the supporting-arms H is the rocker-shaft J of the receptacle gate or closure. Secured to the shaft J in a similar manner that the reel-arms are secured to the reel-rake shaft are the ingers J. Immediately above the longitudinal member d3 of the gatherer-frame D is secured the rockerarm J2. This arm is connected to the member d3 of the gatherer-frame D by means of the linkj and the strap d5. To the end of the rocker-shaft J nearest the operators seat L is secured a second rocker-arm J8. In a convenient position upon the frame of the machine is placed a foot-lever K, which is connected to the rocker-arm J3 by means of the link j. The foot-lever K isprovided with a pawl k, adapted to engage ratchetteeth on the quadrant 7c', which forms a part of the bracket in which the foot-lever K is journaled, so that it may be held in the required positions.

The rocker-arms J2 and J3 are secured to the rocker-shaft J in such positions that when the foot-lever is in its forward position (shown in Fig. 4) the gathering-receptacle will be raised and the rocking gate lowered, so that their respective fingers will be in close proximity to each other. This vis the position maintained duringbunch'ing. Whenthefootlever is in its rearward position, (shown in Fig. 3,) the fingers of the gathering-receptacle lie fiat on the ground, while the fingers of the rocking gate are raised high.

The operation of the attachment is asfollows: When the machine is in operation, the gathering receptacle is first raised by the foot-lever so as to clear the ground, as shown in Fig. 4, and thus held by means of the pawl 7e and the ratchet-quadrant 7a. The cut grass is deposited upon the cutter-bar and the forward portion of the gathering receptacle. The reel-rake, which is driven about the same rate of speed as the traction-wheels or a little faster, passes immediately over the cutter-bar and rakes the grass back into the back part of the gathering-receptacle, thus keeping the cutter-bar clean. When sufficient grass has been cut to make a bunch, the

`gathering-receptacle is lowered to the ground and the gate at the same time raised by means of the foot-lever, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the gathered bunch as it is engaged by the stubble which projects through the gatherer-fingers may be permitted to pass freely from the receptacle as the machine advances. When an obstacle is encountered and it is necessary to raise the cutter-bar, it is done by the usual lifting-lever. (Not here shown.) In order that the cutter-bar thus raised may not interfere with the reel, the reel is mounted upon the cutting apparatus, as above described, and hence is raised with the cutter-bar. If the reel-arms of each set revolved in the same plane and were closev enough together to completely clear the cutter-bar, they would tend to wind up. To prevent this, they are staggered, as above referred to, so that each arm has apath of revolution of its own and the cutter-bar cleared at as many points as practical. Beaters are adjustably secured to each series of arms to preventwinding. Ordinarily they may be adjusted near the reel-shaft. If, however, the grass is heavy and contains a good many weeds, it will be necessary to adjust them nearer the ends of the arms. This may be determined by experiment.

' What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In combination with a mowing-machine, a gathering-receptacle pivoted to the cutting apparatus, a gate or closure, manual means for operating the said receptacle and gate simultaneously, a reel-rake comprising a series of arms mounted upon a flexible shaft,

IOO

IIO

said shaft connected at its inner end to the coupling-frame and rigidly secured at its outer end to the finger-bar, and means for .automatically operating said reel-rake, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a mowing-machine, supporting-arms mounted thereon, a reelrake, journaled at one end in said supportingfront end ofsaid supporting-arms, and mounted at the other upon the cutting apparatus and thereby adapted to conform to the movement thereof, means for connecting said reelrake with the traction-whee1s,a rocking gate or closure provided with a rocker-shaft journaled in the rear end of said supporting-arms,

" agathering-receptacle pivoted to the cutting apparatus, a rocker-arm secured to said rocker-shaft and connected to said gatheringreceptacle, a foot-lever mounted upon the vmain frame, a second rocker-arm secured to said rocker-shaft and adapted to be connected with said foot-lever whereby said receptacle and gate may be operated simultaneously, substantially as described.

. 4. In combination With a mowing-machine, the supporting-arm H journaled upon lthe main axle, a tie H', a reel-rake having the shaft I journaled in said tie, the post h and the link h' supporting the inner end of said reel-rake, the standard g3 supporting the outer end thereof, the beaters I3 adj ustablysecured to the arms of said reel-rake, the universal joint 1J', the tie H2, the rocking gate having the rocker-shaft J journaled in said tie, the shield F', the divider G', the gathering-receptaclepivoted to the cutting apparatus, the rocker-arms J2 and J 3 secured to said rockershaft, the link j', the link j, and the footlever K, all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed myv name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.4

JOHN W. LATIMER.

Witnesses:

CHAs. H.- CHAMBERS, A. B. HANsoN. 

